The Rufus Collection-6th year + 1 power, 1 greed
by Rufus
Summary: Couldn't fit it all in the title, but basically, i have collected my two stories which followed on from each other into one huge story. Note inside about my other story....


I have to say, that I really, really hate this story now, but I thought I'd at least make it easier to read, by placing it in one part, along with it's counterpart - 'One man's power, one man's greed' And - I'm back, and don't worry, I nearly have the next part of my current story - which I actually like - finished, along with a list of excuses - keep an eye out! - RufusxxxXX:)  
  
  
A Sixth Year Story  
  
By Ruth Christopher  
  
Chapter One  
  
Harry Potter woke up, as he did every morning, to the sound of Aunt Petunia's screeching. "Get up boy, get up now!" Harry rolled out of bed, consoling himself with the fact that he only had a few weeks left of the Dursleys before he went back to school. Hogwarts. It seemed like years since he had lost walked the corridors with Ron and Hermione, of course, in reality, it had only been a month, but living with the Dursleys made it seem like much longer.  
  
By this time, Harry had pulled on a few of the clothes in his wardrobe. The Dursleys had been forced into buying him some of his own clothes. At 16, he was now much taller than his fat cousin Dudley, and his hand downs were far to small. The Dursleys wouldn't have cared, but Harry had taken to wearing his school robes about the house, and so they had to buy him his own clothes. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, he had long since given up keeping his hair neat - not even his magic would work against mother nature.  
  
Harry went downstairs, wondering whether the Dursleys would even mention his birthday, which was today. He wasn't surprised when they didn't. What had surprised him however, was the fact that none of his school friends seemed to have remembered wither. In fact, the only thing he had received from the wizarding world all summer was a letter from Hogwarts telling him he was a prefect. This had cheered him up a little, but it hadn't kept him happy for very long as he remembered the school and the people he thought were his friends.  
  
Harry spent the rest of the day in his room, finishing the essays he had been assigned at Hogwarts. The Dursleys had let him keep his things in his room this year, and, entering his 6th year, Harry thought it was a very good job - he had be given a lot of work to do.  
  
Harry was suddenly disturbed from his work by the sound of his Aunt shouting for him to come and do chores. By the time Harry had finished working for Aunt Petunia, it was dark out. He was just heading upstairs to go to bed when the doorbell rang. Vernon Dursley shouted " you get that boy". Harry groaned and walked towards the door, swung it open, and gasped in amazement at what he saw.  
  
Standing on the front doorstep, looking around interested in everything around them, were Ron Weasley and his father. "Hiya Harry, we've come to rescue you!" Ron said with a grin, " call it a birthday treat" Mr Weasley added - looking remarkably like his son as he too grinned. Harry smiled ad opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly his eyes widened in fear - " You have to go, look, run, hide anything, " he pleaded. Ron frowned " but Harry, we've .." " I don't care Ron - just g..."   
Too late. " What on earth is going on out here?" Vernon Dursley had appeared from around the corner. Harry quickly shut the door in the Weasley's faces, but it was too late, he had seen them.   
  
"What was all that about?" Ron asked his Dad as they stood on the doorstep. Mr Weasley shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, they heard screaming from inside. "WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING BOY, INVITING YOUR KIND TO OUR HOUSE, WHAT IF SOMEONE SAW THEM, HOW DARE YOU GIVE OUT OUR ADDRESS!" "Oops" muttered Ron, "I'm beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea."  
  
Inside, Vernon Dursley was positively foaming at the mouth, screaming at Harry. Suddenly, he grabbed Harry by the wrist and started dragging him up the stairs. Harry felt pain shooting through his back as he bumped up the stairs, and was relieved when they reached the top, when Vernon suddenly threw him into his room, locking the door as he left.  
  
Harry was shakily walking around the room throwing things into his trunk as quickly as he could, looking through shattered glasses. His wrist had turned a strange purple colour, and he could fell a lump forming on his head, he also found a cut on his head which was heavily bleeding. He could taste blood as his lip started bleeding. He ignored these things and went on packing his trunk. When he had finished he grabbed his trunk and dropped it out of the window, released Hedwig, his owl, who hovered outside waiting for Harry, before stating to climb down the drainpipe outside. He was nearly at the bottom when he slipped and fell the last few feet. Harry stood up and winced in pain, realising he had sprained his ankle. He quickly grabbed his trunk and started to limp to the drive, dragging his trunk with him, towards a puzzled looking Ron.   
  
Ron spotted Harry and ran over to grab his trunk, not noticing any of his injuries, as it was too dark. "OK Harry?" he asked " Sure" said Harry, trying to hide his now heavily bleeding head with his hair. "We'll apparate back now you two" said Mr Weasley as soon as he caught up. Harry ducked behind the two, he wanted as few people as possible to see him looking like this, and Ron's family would no doubt be waiting for their return at the Burrow. Little did Harry know, that there were more people than just Ron's Family present.  
  
" Quick, they're coming " Albus Dumbledore whispered. The Burrow was crowded, ready for Harry's first ever birthday party, as soon as Ron and Mr Weasley arrived with Harry it would start. Around the living room were the Weasleys, Hermione, Dumbledore, Hagrid, the quidditch team and the rest of the Gryffindor boys - Neville, Seamus and Dean. They were all quiet as a small blur started to materialise, and then started singing " Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Harry...." " Wait a minute - where is Harry?" Ginny asked, as Harry was still stood behind Ron and Mr Weasley. " Here" he said in a small voice. " Well come out the" said everyone. Harry slowly stepped out, and did his best to stay standing as his legs were feeling more wobbly. Everyone gasped as they looked at the ate of Harry. " What on earth happened?" asked Mr Weasley. " I think Uncle Vernon recognised you from the train station" said Harry, putting a hand to his head to try and stop it hurting. Everyone around the room suddenly started shouting abuse straight away, not noticing Harry was starting to dangerously wobble. " Why didn't you say anything?" " I'll get that Dursley - lousy muggle," "I never knew they were this bad" "Harry, HARRY! Are you Ok?" Harry hardly heard Hermione's questioning as his head went black and he felt himself falling.........  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Oh, it's all my fault. I should never have tried to organise this stupid, stupid party, it's all my fault."  
"Hermione, calm down, it's not your fault in the slightest - it's all that muggles fault. I still can't believe what he did. Anyway - I'm sure Harry loves the idea of a party."  
"I do" said Harry opening his eyes.  
"Harry, thank God - you're awake!" squealed Hermione in delight.  
"Sort of - I'm having trouble seeing without my glasses" said Harry grinning.  
"Er - Harry, you are wearing your glasses" said Ron looking worried, but laughing nevertheless.   
"Perhaps you should lie down again" Dumbledore suggested, "That's quite a knock you took"  
Harry sat up despite Dumbledore's advice, and looking around, saw that Hermione had started crying   
"Herm, what's wrong?" Harry asked.  
"It's all my fault" she said, sitting on the stool next to the sofa Harry had been lying on. Harry put his hand on hers.  
"No, it's not Hermione, I'm fine, really, I love the party - it was a great idea, don't cry, please?  
Hermione looked up smiling " Thanks" she muttered.  
Harry stood up, " I really feel fine, now what about that party, eh?"  
Everyone laughed, it was only then that Harry started noticing the large number of people that were there. He found that somebody had cured his ankle and wrist while he had been asleep, the only reminders he had left were the cut and the rather ugly looking black/blue bruise on his forehead. He wandered around the room - delighted at seeing all his friends again, and saying hello to everyone. He soon returned to the sofa, laden with more presents than he had seen in his life, which he immediately started to open.  
  
Harry spent the rest of his surprise party forgetting about what had happened earlier on that day. Hermione had organised a great party. There was music, food, dancing and all of Harry's very best friends. Harry had never had so much fun in his life . He was sat at a table thinking about all the fun he was having when a hand came down in front of his face.   
"Care to dance Mr Potter?"  
Harry looked up - "Why certainly mademoiselle" he joked, taking the person's hand.  
Harry and Hermione (well duh - who else would it be?) stepped out onto the dance floor, and started dancing very exaggeratedly to some ballroom music put on for the older guests of the party, taking huge bows and doing ridiculous swoops every so often. Soon they were laughing hysterically at each other, as Hermione tripped over one of Harry's two left feet, and fell over, taking Harry with her. They both ended up being pulled up by Ron, unable to pull themselves up due to laughing like hyenas on the floor. The other people from Hogwarts stood around watching the two dancing in the middle - unsure of what to make of what was happening.  
  
The next day, Dumbledore came to visit Harry again, to talk about what had happened the day before.  
"Now then Harry, no doubt you have no great desire to return to the Dursleys, so, I have spoken to Mr and Mrs Weasley and we have agreed that you can stay here for the remainder of the summer."  
"Thank you professor - can I go and tell Ron the news?"  
"All in good time Harry, all in good time. First we have to talk of what to do about the Dursleys. We can't try them in a wizard court - obviously - they're not wizards, but we can take Vernon to a muggle court to be tried for child abuse - he would probably face a long stretch in prison for what he did...." Dumbledore trailed off at this point, obviously wanting to hear what Harry thought.  
"Sir, I know that what Uncle Vernon did was wrong, but I don't want him to go to jail."  
"As you wish Harry. I think that is what your mother would have wanted, but I'm not about to let them get off scott free, why don't I send them a little surprise......."  
  
Later at Privet Drive...  
"Vernon, dear, pass the butter" smiled Aunt Petunia. Things have been a lot more peaceful around here since that boy left she thought to herself, smiling.  
Suddenly, Petunia was rudely awoken from her thoughts as a large screech filled the kitchen, and a large barn owl flew in carrying a bright red envelope that appeared to be smoking. (We all know what this is - fingers in ears please - thank you) Vernon Dursley opened it with shaking hands...  
"VERNON DURSLEY - YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A LOUSY MUGGLE. IT'S A GOOD JOB HARRY HAS 10 TIMES THE DECENCY OF YOU PEOPLE, OTHERWISE YOU WOULD BE FACING TIME, A VERY LONG TIME, IN JAIL. IF YOU EVER PULL ANOTHER STUNT LIKE THIS ONE, I ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, WILL BE AFTER YOU SO QUICKLY THAT NOT EVEN THE PRIME MINISTER OF ENGLAND COULD SAVE YOU, ALTHOUGH I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT HE WOULD WANT TO.........."  
  
  
Harry spent another brilliant summer at The Burrow, much like in his second year, with all the Weasleys, and the occasional visit from Hermione, coupled with suspicious glances from the rest of the family when the two were together. Harry couldn't remember a better time, but it was all over much too quickly for anyone.  
  
September the 1st came around, and Harry, Ron, Ginny and the twins were stood on platform 9 3/4, ready to board the train.   
"Keep an eye on Ginny you three." Mrs Weasley was finishing her annual speech to her children before they left for school.   
"and you, Harry Potter, no adventures this year - you make sure you stay out of trouble, you seem to be a magnet for it."   
They finally managed to escape Mrs Weasley and clamber onto the train. Harry and Ron set off in one direction, Ginny and the twins in the other. They eventually came across an empty carriage, and put their belongings in it before going to find Hermione.   
They eventually found her stood on the platform by herself, snuck up on her and...  
"BOO!"  
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh - Oh it's only you, you didn't half scare me - you two are such nuisances."  
"Nice to see you too" grinned Ron  
"Can we escort you to your carriage madam?" Harry asked with a deep bow before offering his arm to Hermione.  
"Why certainly young man" she managed through her giggles, rustling Harry's hair and running off before he could catch her. Harry chased after her. Ron rolled his eyes  
"What are they, 6? And I thought they were the prefects" Ron said in a very Percy - like voice, before laughing and running after his friends.  
  
Unusually for the trio, the journey to Hogwarts passed without occasion, and soon the 'dream team' was sat in their usual seats at the Gryffindor table, watching the sorting. Professor McGonagall was wandering around the Gryffindor table - telling all the prefects the password for the portrait. Harry and Hermione almost wondered what she was talking about as she said "It's Buckbeak", but caught themselves just in time, remembering they were prefects. Harry was talking to Ron when she heard a loud remark of  
"Them - prefects?" followed by a large amount of laughing. He turned round and glared at what was unmistakably Draco Malfoy.  
"Oh don't start that straight away" moaned Hermione, "I know he's unbearable, but don't spoil the feast."  
Ron and Harry looked at Hermione, who was looking at them both with her 'stubborn face' on, they both reluctantly agreed.  
"Just for now" Ron said through clenched teeth.  
  
Lessons started the following day at Hogwarts. Once they got their timetables, Harry, Ron and Hermione found they started with potions (joy!)with the Slytherins (more joy!). Snape was in a particularly bad mood, and started by taking 5 points off Gryffindor when Neville 'smiled too much'. It therefore surprised everyone when he announced they would be studying love potions in this lesson.........  
"Now, the love potion can have various lengths of effect, the one I have brewed on the desk here only lasts for a short amount of time, but they can be made to last for years. The best way to study love potions is to see one working..." Snape was now grinning maliciously, "all I need are some volunteers..."  
Everyone slipped down in their seats, unwilling to drink anything Snape had made  
"How about Mr Potter" Snape sneered   
"Er - no thanks Professor Sn-"  
"YES Potter" grinned Snape, "now who shall I put with him?"  
Several of the girls showed more interest at this point - Harry, famous and good looking as he was, was unknowingly the target of many a 6th year. However, most people stayed sunk down in their seats.  
"I know - Miss Granger - why not", Snape grinned evilly from ear to ear "this could prove most interesting."  
The whole of the class was looking in shock at Harry and Hermione, sat next to each other as usual at the back of the classroom, looking at each other with wide eyes.   
Snape was continuing "I will give each of you some potion after class. After that, I want the class to observe their behaviour, for the short period the potion will be working."   
  
The rest of the class dragged on, but it was all to slow for the two friends sat at the back. They were both depressed - neither of them wanted to go through with this. Ron was depressed because this meant he was probably going to be left alone for a while. Most of the Gryffindors were delighted - they had always thought Harry and Hermione would be the perfect couple, and now they would be, even if it was forced. It was eventually the end of potions, and the class rushed out to wait for the other two to be given the potion.  
  
Inside, Harry and Hermione were being stubbornly slow, deliberately taking forever to pack their things away. Snape angrily threatened them with a months detentions, and they reluctantly took the potion..  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Almost instantly after they had taken the potion, Hermione went running towards Harry and leapt into his arms, Harry buckled under the weight, but held her, still standing, none the less. The two started kissing immediately, and didn't come up for air for about3 minutes, and that was only when Snape stopped laughing at them and started to get annoyed. Snape ordered the two to get out of his classroom, and Harry, still carrying Hermione obliged - by walking and kissing at once - but miraculously managing to see where he was going at the same time.   
  
Meanwhile, the class outside was stood with their ears to the door, suddenly it was kicked open by a person they assumed was Harry, it was hard to tell because they couldn't see his face - Hermione seemed to have become permanently attached to it. Everyone stood around them collectively gasped, the two broke apart for the first time.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked as Harry put her down on the floor.  
  
When nobody answered her, she grabbed Harry's hand, and the two ran off towards the Gryffindor common room. The Gryffindors stood outside the classroom looked at each other in amazement, whilst the Slytherins were yet to talk through their fits of laughing, but eventually everyone calmed down and headed back to their separate common rooms.   
  
As they entered the common room, the 6th years found Harry and Hermione sharing a chair in front of the fire, still kissing persistently.   
" Doesn't it ever stop?" Ron moaned  
  
At this point, most of the rest of the Gryffindors decided to enter the common room, including a laughing Fred and George. The common suddenly became a very noisy place for a few seconds - that is , until everyone spotted the 'couple' sat in front of the fire.  
  
"What on Earth?!" exclaimed Fred  
"Who, what, why? - Do they even know if anyone else is in the room?" asked a puzzled and disgusted George, yet to see either of them come up for air.  
"I don't know," said Ron, "depends how strong the potion was."  
"WHAT POTION?" screamed half the room,  
"the love potion Snape forced down them in potions," the other half shouted back.  
Harry and Hermione finally broke apart.  
"What's all this noise, what's wrong?" asked Harry   
"What are you all staring at?" snapped a confused Hermione.  
"Absolutely nothing" muttered Ron.  
"OK then R-"Harry started - but was broken off as Hermione once again became attached to his face.   
This was all far too much for the people stood around them, who burst into hysterics and started rolling on the floor laughing. It was a funny sight to see the two best friends so passionately in love - no matter how false it might be.  
  
Most of the Gryffindors didn't stop laughing all through lunch. Hermione sat on Harry's lap at the table in the great hall - something which set of a wave of laughter throughout the entire school - who had all learnt of this turn of events by now. The student body spent their dinner time laughing as the happy couple fed each other dinner, with quick kisses in-between. Ron was the only one who appeared not to be laughing - he just seemed to be slipping into a deeper state of depression with every act from the couple. The final straw for the already crying Gryffindors was when the two shared some food mid - kiss, most of them fell out of their seats laughing, while others collapsed onto their plates - tears rolling down their cheeks, pounding the table. Harry and Hermione simply carried on - oblivious to what was going on around them.   
  
That afternoon, the Gryffindors had Transfiguraton with Professor McGonagall. Most of the class had already entered the room - anxious to see what would happen. Professor McGonagall stared in wonder as Harry and Hermione walked into the room holding hands and kissing. Apparently she had not noticed the two at lunch, as she ate in her office, and sat with a very strange look on her face as the two sat down at the back of the classroom. The whole class suddenly burst out into a new wave of hysterics as the two pushed their desks closer together, and sat holding hands, still kissing - in class.  
"Potter, Granger - what has gotten into you two today, put those desks back at once, if this is some kind of joke you will be looking at a.." Professor McGonagall started to shout  
"Oh, please professor - don't shout at them - they can't help it" pleaded Lavender.  
"What on earth do you mean?"  
"Well, er, Professor Snape was kind of, sort of.. demonstrating the effects of love potion and he kind of forced it down, er, I mean he used them as volunteers.." Lavender said trailing off - not wanting to bad mouth one teacher in front of another - even if it was Snape.  
"I see - well, I shall definitely be having a word with Snape about using potions on students, but for now we'll just have to ignore them I suppose," Professor McGonagall started.  
"I don't think we need to bother" grinned Ron, looking at his watch, " According to Snape, the effects should be wearing off any time about...NOW."  
Everyone quick spun around to look at the two. Hermione was now sat in Harry's lap again, and they were still kissing. Suddenly, they both opened their eyes and separated - looking at each other in horror, blushing 20 shades deeper than Ron's hair as Hermione sat back in her seat.  
"How long have we been like that then?" asked Hermione,  
"I dread to think." Moaned Harry, his head sinking into his hands.  
"You don't know the half of it" smirked Ron, retelling what had happened, sending the class into further hysterics, as Harry and Hermione started to move their tables apart. Even Professor McGonagall was laughing by the end, but calmed down eventually saying "Well, after that brief interlude, perhaps we can continue with today's lesson," as she opened a large book on her desk.  
  
Lavender turned around to face Harry and Hermione. "You two did make the cutest couple" she said, as several people nodded their heads in agreement. The two just looked at each other, blushed, and quickly looked away again, much to the amusement of their classmates. Only Ron didn't look happy. He was sat miserably on Harry's right hand side glaring at Lavender for daring to suggest such a thing.  
  
The rest of the day passed pretty much without occasion. Harry and Hermione were talked about non stop, and the two couldn't go in a room without a wave of laughter following them, but the two avoided each other too embarrassed to even look at each other, a point which was eventually noticed by a couple of the Gryffindors.  
"It's sad really, I always thought they'd make a great couple, and this thing seems to have made all the more unlikely" sighed Lavender.  
"I wouldn't be so sure" said Fred, " If it was that unlikely, why are they too embarrassed to even look at each other?"  
"I think you're right" grinned George, " but I think they need a little encouragement."  
"I smell trouble" Lavender smirked "but I never thought I'd see the day you two played cupid".  
"Just as long as there's no diapers involved, we're happy to help!" said Fred.  
  
The next day, Harry woke up late, and, having thrown on his clothes, rushed downstairs to breakfast, found all the Gryffindors still at the table, 10 minutes before they had to leave. Not thinking about how unusual this was, Harry went and sat down in the only seat that was left - next to Hermione.(All arranged by 'cupid' of course.) After Harry had started to eat his breakfast - still not looking at Hermione, he suddenly found that the space he had sat in had suddenly got a lot smaller, he suspiciously looked around at the innocent faced people sat a lot closer together, and found himself squashed right next to Hermione, who was doing her best to carry on as normal.  
Ron was the only one who was not included in Fred and George's plan, they were afraid he'd let something slip, so he walked in, looking for his friends having had his breakfast earlier. He stared at his two friends sat so close together, and felt anger rise up inside him. He had never told a soul, but he had always had a crush on his chestnut haired friend, and was now facing the prospect of losing her to his so called friend.   
"What's going on?" Ron managed to say through clenched teeth.   
"Nothing" came the reply from all of the table simultaneously.  
"Come and sit here," someone motioned at the end of the table, not wanting Ron to get in the way of the house's specially laid plans.  
  
Eventually, people started to leave, and Harry and Hermione found that they finally had space to move, and finished their breakfast, still not looking at each other. The rest of the table was watching them, grinning, feeling pleased with the way things were going.   
Finally, Hermione snapped and stood up "Harry, we need to talk, come on, now."   
Harry slowly stood up and followed her out of the room towards the lake outside.   
Once there, they sat on a bank, watching the insects fly above the lake. They sat in silence for a while, and then both started talking at the same time.  
"Harry, I.."  
"I wanted to.."  
They fell silent again. Finally Hermione spoke up.  
"It was just the potion working.." she started  
"yeah - what do the rest of them know - we're fine as friends" Harry offered.  
They looked at each other, as their faces drew closer, and they launched into another passionate kiss - one that had been stored up for 5 years, and this time was for real..  
  
After his two friends left the hall, Ron got up to leave as well. He headed straight for the 6th year boy's dormitory to try and forget what was happening. He looked out of a window to a perfect view - of his two friends sat on the banks of the lake - kissing. Ron felt his anger again.   
  
"Harry." He thought to himself. "I hate Harry." He hated himself for thinking like this, but he had lost control. "Harry always gets his own way. Harry's famous - who cares if he gets in trouble? Harry Potter - all the girls fancy him - and now he's got Hermione. Who likes me? Nobody."  
  
The door suddenly burst open, and in walked Seamus, Dean and Neville.   
"What' ya looking at Ron?" they asked strolling towards the window.  
"Oh my God - look Harry and Hermione - together - kissing, I knew this would happen - we have to go tell everybody quickly" they were shouting as they ran out of the room towards the common room. Ron hadn't said a word, he was just stood watching as his friends continued, oblivious to the figure stood in the window . "I hate him," Ron thought. "I HATE HARRY POTTER"  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Harry and Hermione finally decided to walk back to the common room - and found that it was later than they thought. They rushed towards the portrait, and expecting the common room to be nearly empty walked in holding hands. As they stepped in they froze - nearly every Gryffindor was still sat In the common room. Suddenly everybody started clapping and whistling, Hermione thought she even heard Fred and George remark "well finally - it's only taken 6 years," in a very sarcastic tone. Harry and Hermione looked at each other blushed and ran off in opposite directions to grab books - still hearing remarks of   
" no need for a love potion this time eh?"   
"thinking of sharing lunch again are we?"  
  
Harry ran upstairs to his dormitory, and found that Ron had locked himself in their bathroom,  
"Oh, you'll never guess what just happened Ron, me and.." he started  
"I'll meet you in class Harry" snapped back Ron - not wanting to listen to Harry talk about what had just happened. He had decided to just try and ignore the two - he didn't want to cause any trouble, especially to Hermione, no, he wouldn't cause any trouble. For now.  
  
The constant taunts of the school seemed to have very little effect on Harry and Hermione as the day went on. Eventually, people gave up and returned to their normal system, allowing the couple to be together in relative peace. Ron meanwhile, was still forcing a smile about his friends relationship, trying to avoid them for as long as he could. He was sick of watching them being happy together. He wanted his friends to be happy - but he didn't want it to be because Harry had Hermione, he was feeling more and more shut out.  
  
Eventually, Harry and Hermione started to notice that something was wrong with Ron, although it did take a long time - nearly two weeks - their minds were obviously focused on other things.   
  
Hermione was sat in the library one afternoon, thinking about how happy she was with Harry. The two spent as much time together as they could, though it was becoming less and less often that the two could find time to be together, Hermione was thinking.   
  
She had, as per usual, chosen more subjects than most people, and was often swamped with work, and Harry had Quidditch practices and matches, which seemed to becoming more frequent, in fact that was where he was now.  
  
"Still doing work Hermione?"   
Hermione was broken from her train of thought, and looked up to see the Weasley twins looking down at her.  
"Practice finished then has it boys?" she asked.  
"Er - there wasn't a practice today - it's Sunday, we never practice on a Sunday, unless we're really desperate - God knows we do enough practice the rest of the time." They answered.  
"But I haven't seen Harry all day - I figured that was what he was doing" said Hermione, beginning to worry  
Harry suddenly appeared In the library doorway, and walked calmly over to Hermione's table, sitting down in a seat next to her, flashing her a bright smile.  
"And just where have you been all day? Hermione questioned.  
Harry's grin faded to nothing, "Just doing extra work," he said in a melancholy voice.  
"YOU, extra work - you'd better come up with something a bit more believable than that" Hermione snapped.  
"Just..just don't ask Hermione" Harry said in a sad voice, standing up and walking out of the room.  
"Well, that was strange,"George commented,  
"I'm going to go and ask Professor McGonagall, maybe she knows what's wrong" said Hermione, still puzzled.  
"Why would she know?" asked Fred.  
"I don't know," said Hermione, "I just have a feeling - that's all."  
  
Later on, Hermione was stood outside Professor McGonagall's office, trying to work up the courage to knock on the door. She was just about to when the door suddenly opened from the inside, and the professor walked right into Hermione.  
"What are you doing Hermione?" she asked - puzzled as to why her student was stood outside her door.  
"I just wanted to ask you something," Hermione replied.  
"Well, come in then."  
  
Once inside, Hermione started to explain how strangely Harry acted, and when she finally asked if the professor knew anything, she saw quite clearly that Professor McGonagall did not look her in the eye as she replied  
"Er - I..I think..yes, I had better get Dumbledore to come and speak to you," stuttering as she talked.  
"Why, what's wrong" Hermione said, starting to really worry.  
"Just wait for the headmaster - he'll explain everything." Professor McGonagall replied, her voice quiet.  
  
Professor Dumbledore arrived a few minutes later, a grave look on his face.  
"Hermione, I hear you have been enquiring after the - situation we are having."  
"Yes sir"  
"well, I don't want you to worry, but I will tell you all the details if you really want to hear them. Sure?" Hermione nodded her head  
"Very well then. We have heard news from our spies deep in the dark arts, that Lord Voldemort is back in power"  
Hermione gasped "but how - I thought he was dead"  
"Dumbledore sighed,"We all did Hermione, but it seems he is back, and of course, you can guess who his first target is.."   
Hermione's eyes widened in horror "No, not Harry!"  
"I'm afraid so Hermione. Now we are all trying our best to help Harry. We have been giving him extra training to prepare him as best we can, but many of his powers exceed even ours. He is only now beginning to receive them fully, and they are his only hope." Dumbledore was now looking sadly at Hermione.  
"What powers?" Hermione asked, her voice beginning to crack.  
"He is a very powerful wizard Hermione, he has natural powers the likes of which we have not seen since Godric Gryffindor."  
Dumbledore stopped. " I don't want you to tell anyone this Hermione, you can discuss it with Harry, but tell nobody else, we don't want to cause panic."  
"Of course sir." Hermione managed to say through her tears. She stood up and ran out of the room to go and find Harry.  
  
She found him sat by the lake, and walked over to him, sitting next to him. "They told you didn't they?" he said slowly, not looking at her.  
"Yes - oh Harry, why didn't you tell me?"  
"I couldn't, I didn't want to put you in danger" he said, looking her in the eyes. She looked at him, and then pulled him towards her, kissing him as she felt tears roll down her cheeks.  
"I'll be OK," he said after they broke apart "all the teachers have been helping loads."  
The two sat leaning against each other, watching the sunset over the lake, knowing that it wouldn't be this peaceful for long.  
  
The next day, Ron had finally had enough of his two friends, especially now they seemed to be keeping secrets from him, and didn't speak to them. Harry and Hermione didn't know what to do, finally, Harry decided to go and talk to Ron, and sort things out.  
  
He found Ron in their dormitory, and as he walked in, Ron stood up, ready to leave.  
"Ron, wait, what have I done - why are you avoiding me?"  
This was too much for Ron, who felt under far too much pressure from forcing a smile for so long, and now from Harry's innocent questioning.   
Harry sat, stunned, as Ron suddenly exploded, shouting at Harry, saying how much he loved Hermione, and how seeing the two of them together was driving him mad.  
"And it's all your fault Harry" Ron was still shouting, "you always get everything your own way, nothing bad happens in your life." Ron continued, not knowing how far from the truth he was. " Quidditch captain, Prefect, Hermione.."  
"ALRIGHT Ron" shouted Harry, his voice cracking. How could this have happened? Ron was his best friend, and yet he seemed to hate Harry beyond anything.   
"I love Hermione, but your friendship means more than anything, I'm sure if I just explain things to her she'll understand." Harry said with a flat voice.  
"Oh no you don't, you're not telling her anything I just said," exclaimed Ron.  
"but I can't just break up with her, I love her far too much to do that", said Harry, beginning to lose his composure.  
"You can, and you will" said Ron angrily, losing control of what he was saying, "or else it will be worse for you."  
Harry felt like he was being torn in two - his best friend or his other best friend. He shook his head sadly, and walked out of the room misty eyed.  
  
Hermione was sat in the common room with a large book on her knee. She was thinking about Harry, the danger he had to face, and how much she loved him. She looked up smiling, and saw Harry stood above her.   
"I need to talk to you Herm," he said, not looking at her as he spoke, "I can't go out with you anymore" he said in a tearful voice, before running to the portrait and quickly leaping out.  
  
Hermione sat, frozen in shock. Lavender, who was sat opposite came over and asked  
" What was all that about?"  
"I think we just broke up," Hermione said, beginning to cry.  
"WHAT?" screeched Lavender, a little too loudly, attracting a large group of people, demanding to know what had happened. After Hermione had finished retelling what had happened, everyone was still completely puzzled, Fred and George stood up, and decided to go and find Harry.  
  
They searched through the castle, and then headed out to the grounds, where they found him sat by the lake, head in his hands, crying. The twins looked at each other in confusion, and ran over. Harry looked up, saw them coming and grabbing the broom he had with him, flew off, leaving Fred and George more puzzled than they had been before. If Harry had wanted to break up with Hermione, why was he so upset?  
  
When Fred and George got back to the common room, they found Lavender comforting a still crying Hermione. They motioned Lavender over, and explained what they had just seen Lavender frowned, "something is not right here, and I think I know what it is. I'm going to go and see if I can't sort Harry out - which direction did he head in?"   
  
Lavender eventually found Harry, sat dejectedly on one of the Quidditch goal posts. She flew up there on her broomstick and sat next to him.  
"It's Ron isn't it?" she asked in a quiet voice.  
"What? But - how did you know?" said a puzzled Harry, still with tears in his eyes.  
"It wasn't so hard Harry - I know you wouldn't break up with her unless you were forced to - but you do have a choice you know." Lavender sympathised.  
"I know you're right, I love Hermione and breaking up with her is the last thing I want to do, but Ron's friendship means the world to me, even if he does hate me now." Harry said, still unsure himself.  
  
Lavender looked at him, appalled at what Ron was doing to his friends.  
"You have to come back and explain to Hermione, she's really upset.."  
"I can't face her - I can't, she must hate me now, and I can't tell her about Ron, he'll hate me even more."  
"She doesn't hate you, and you know that, besides, you can't stay here all night can you?" Lavender tried to joke.  
"I suppose so, I'll come back with you then."  
  
As Lavender stepped through the portrait, she said "right then Harry, now go and talk to her."  
Fred and George looked at er strangely from across the room,  
"Er, Lav? Are you feeling Ok?" said Fred  
"Why?" asked Lavender  
"Because - no matter how hard you try and talk to thin air, it isn't going to talk back!" laughed George.  
"What?" said Lavender spinning around,," Oh, damn that boy, he was stood right behind me, he's just well, vanished.."  
  
Lavender didn't tell anyone what she had figured out, or what Harry had told her, that was up to Harry to do for himself. She spent the rest of that evening sat with Hermione, that is, until she left, disgusted at watching Ron comforting Hermione - "I don't understand him, why would he want to break up with you?" he was saying  
  
For the next couple of days, both Harry and Hermione were miserable, Harry not only faced terrible danger, but he also faced it without his two best friends, he had to cope alone. He spent a lot of his time staring into space, worrying about what was to come. The two avoided each other at all times, and when the were forced to be together, they sat as far apart as possible, Ron always choosing to sit next to Hermione, much to Lavenders disgust. The final straw for Lavender came on Halloween.  
  
The common room was packed, people were happily chatting, dressed in costumes for the dance which had become a custom for older students. Hermione was looking stunning in a 17th century dress, a deep red colour which showed off her figure beautifully, with her hair in neat ringlets which draped over her shoulder. For the first time in ages, she was looking at Harry, who, ironically, was dressed at Godric Gryffindor. Hermione smiled at the joke which only she and the teachers could comprehend. He was wearing long black robes and cloak, with the hood drawn up, highlighting his sparkling green eyes. To Hermione he had never looked more handsome. Their eyes met across the room, and Harry looked at her, his eyes pleading for her to understand. She started walking over to speak to him, when Ron interrupted,  
"Can I walk you to the dance Hermione?"  
This was too much for Lavender, who screamed "THAT'S IT!"  
The whole room was now looking at Lavender like she was insane.  
"I have HAD it with you Ron, I can't believe what you did, Harry is too nice a person by far for you to have as a friend, do you have any idea of just what you asked him to do?"  
She was steaming at the ears now.  
"What's she talking about Ron? What did you do?" Hermione asked nervously, Harry walked over to Lavender,  
"Don't do this Lavender, I don't want to make a scene " he said calmly.  
"HARRY STOP IT, this is all wrong, and you know it - you wouldn't hurt Ron, but I will." There was no stopping her now "Does everyone want to know why Harry broke up with Hermione? It's because he has a selfish person for a best friend, and is unwilling to go against him. Ron, I hope your happy for forcing your best friend to break up with your other best friend." Lavender finally got out the truth. The room gasped.  
"Is this true Harry?" Hermione asked, not wanting to look at Ron.  
Harry just looked at her with tears in his eyes, looked around the room, and then ran out.   
"Harry , wait!" Hermione shouted, before starting to run after him. She came back in a few seconds later having lost him.  
She walked right in front of Ron,  
"Do you have any idea what you've done Ron? It's bad enough that Harry is facing death as You-know-who comes back, but you've made it worse by forcing him to face it on his own, I hope you're happy." With this, she ran upstairs to her dormitory crying.  
  
Everybody in the room was shocked into silence. You-know-who was after Harry?   
Ron had forced his best friends to break up?  
Everybody was staring at Ron as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet.  
"Is that true Ron?" asked Fred, disgusted with his own brother.  
  
Ron didn't say anything. People started to leave the room, heading for the dance, Ron left when Lavender left to fetch Hermione. When he reached the hall, he sat down in a chair, watching Harry stare at the wall, his eyes tiered and sad. Ron looked up as Lavender walked Hermione, blotchy faced and teary eyed, into the room. Nobody sat any where near Ron. In the end, he went to fetch a drink from the other side of the hall, only to avoid the murderous glances that people were giving him.   
  
Suddenly, at one side of the hall, there was a loud crack, as a great ball of orange fire erupted, the fire dwindled, and left stood in his own body, was Voldemort.  
"Potter, where are you? Your time has come." He said in a raspy voice.  
Everyone looked to where Harry had been sat, but found the chair empty.  
"I know you're here Potter, I can sense you - ahh, invisible are we? I suppose you have been trained."  
People were creeping towards the doors by now, but screamed in terror when they found that they were locked. Instead, they started creeping towards the far side of the hall, as far away as possible. Ron tried to do the same, but found himself rooted to the spot.  
"Fools, do you think I care for any of you, all I want is Potter!" screamed Voldemort.  
"But still, I think I can wet my appetite" Voldemort sneered, turning towards Ron, who was frozen to the spot. A strange green light appeared in his hands, it started to move towards Ron, it was nearly then when there was suddenly a scream of   
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and Ron felt himself being shoved away by an unseen force. The green light was focused onto a point behind Ron, as it became brighter, a person came into view, and the light was shining onto their chest.  
"Harry! What are you doing?"   
Voldemort laughed "even better - why waste my energy on a worthless nobody" and with that he snapped out of view.   
Harry collapsed onto the floor, now fully visible.  
"Why did you do it Harry - I've been horrible to you - worse than horrible - why?  
Harry smiled despite his pain, "because Ron, I was always your friend." And with that he slipped into unconsciousness.   
  
Chapter Five  
  
"Harry? HARRY? I'm sorry Harry, sorry for everything, please wake up, please don't die, please." Ron was knelt down next to Harry, shocked to see his friend start to fade in to view, and then collapse on the floor.  
"Nooooo! Harry," Hermione seemed to have snapped out of a trance, and came running towards Harry, and sat down at his head, pulling him towards her, kissing him in the hope it would wake him up,   
"You can't die Harry, you can't, get up now."  
She was unable to stop crying, as Harry lay blacked out on the floor, the rest of the hall was silent as Dumbledore bent down to take his pulse   
"He's still alive" he announced, before performing a floatation spell on Harry's limp body...  
  
Darkness. Nothing but Darkness. He could hear the cries of others, but he couldn't see them. Suddenly, he felt himself floating in the air, and then he fell to the floor with a bump.  
"What's the big idea" he started, "did I say I wanted dropping on the floor?"  
He stood up and dusted himself off, not noticing the stunned silence, and occasional scream from around the hall.  
  
"H-h-harry? But your body it's - you can't be a ghost, you're not dead." Hermione was whimpering, and the rest of the hall was just watching amazed.  
"Don't be silly, of course I'm not a ghost..." Harry started, but then as he looked down at his feet, he could see through them... "Aaahh - what the hell? I'm dead?  
"Er - that's just it Harry, you're not dead. You, I mean your body still has a pulse" Ron stated, equally puzzled himself.  
Harry looked to his left "aahhh!" he screamed, and jumped back.  
"I guess seeing yourself unconscious is a bit of a shock" Ron said.  
"how did this happen?" Harry asked, "If I'm not dead how can I be a ghost?"  
"I think that the curse Voldemort used was no ordinary one. It was the living ghost curse. You are stuck as a ghost, unless you can find your way back to your body.." Dumbledore started.  
"Well that's easy then," Harry said trying to float back into his body. After floating there for a few minutes, he sat up in mid -air .  
"I don't think this is working" he said.  
"No," continued Dumbledore, "you have to find the entrance to your body in the spiritual world."  
"where's that then" asked Harry.  
"I don't really know" came the answer.  
  
The hall was shocked. Harry Potter had just saved his best friend, and now his ghost was floating in the middle of the hall, whilst he was still alive, also floating in the middle of the hall. Everybody got a headache just thinking about it.   
  
Harry was now pacing the floor, thinking about what to do next, or, rather, he was pacing mid-air.   
"Harry, will you please come down, it's most disturbing having you floating up there." Said Hermione  
"It's not disturbing enough that I'm a ghost?" teased Harry, but it wasn't appreciated.  
"HARRY, this is no time to be joking, now come down." Snapped Hermione  
"Alright, alright, I'm coming" said Harry. Walking down pretend steps, laughing to himself. "I could get used to this" he said..  
  
Harry soon settled into his temporary role as a Hogwarts ghost. He would sit in lessons with Ron and Hermione, and would still sit in the common room. It seriously disturbed a lot of people, who were extremely shocked to see Harry wandering through the school transparent.  
Harry's body had been taken up to the infirmary.  
"Hello professor" said Mrs Pomfrey as they arrived "who is it this time?"  
"guess" said Dumbledore.  
"not Potter again," she moaned.  
"Yes, but it is a little more serious this time," he said, floating Harry's limp body in through the door.   
He shut the door, and then started to explain what had happened.  
"At this point Lord Voldemort appeared.."  
"Aaaaahhhhhh!" screamed Mrs Pomfrey.  
Unfortunately, Harry had chosen this point to walk through the door.  
"Hi sir, any ideas about what I should do now?" said a strangely happy Harry.  
"but - how can he be there, he's here, what, I don't understand.." Madame Pomfrey was clearly going mad from the sight of Harry as a ghost, so Dumbledore shooed him out of the room.   
Harry jumped through the door, only to find a couple of first years walking past.  
"BOO!" he yelled.  
"Hi Harry," they said.  
"Am I that unconvincing?" he asked falsely sadly.  
The two first years laughed, as Harry sat with his legs crossed in mid air.  
"Harry Potter, stop tormenting first years, and what have I told you about floating?"  
"Sorry Herm, It's just fun." Harry said, turning invisible and walking towards Malfoy's group.  
He had just picked up an oversized apple pie, and was holding it over Malfoy's head ..  
"Harry Potter - you stop that right now, just because you are a ghost does not meant you can do what you want."  
The Slytherins looked up and spotted the pie. They stared in amazement, and then jumped in terror as Harry suddenly appeared, grinning from ear to ear.  
"Oh fine, I'm as good as dead, and you rob me of my only fun" he teased.  
"It is not a laughing matter Harry, now come here, we have to try and find this spiritual world thingy."  
Harry put down the pie and ran towards Hermione, laughing at the stunned look on Malfoy's face.  
  
Later in the library, Ron and Hermione were reading through books, whilst Harry was jumping out at people as they walked in. He had tried to help, but was having trouble holding anything, being a ghost, and so had taken to scaring students instead.  
"Mr Potter, will you please stop scaring away students" said the librarian politely, not wanting to hurt Harry's feelings.  
"I've got it," screamed Hermione, "look, we just have to perform this and the spirit we perform it on will be able to enter the spirit world."  
"Well then perform it then you two, oh wait" Harry said, flicking out of view for a few seconds, and then returning. "I just had to get Malfoy one last time!" he grinned.  
"Right then, here goes nothing.." Hermione said, as she and Ron started chanting from the book. There was now a sizeable crowd gathered around them, watching in amazement. They all gasped as Harry suddenly fell to his knees,  
"AAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" he screamed as he started to fade, " see you guys later" he said through bared teeth, as he faded completely out of sight.  
  
Hermione and Ron sprinted up to the infirmary,  
"how do we know if it worked?" asked Ron, panting.  
"We don't, until he wakes up, if he wakes up." She said realising it for the first time, "Perhaps we shouldn't have done that." She said.  
  
They burst into the infirmary, in which Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were still stood of Harry.  
"Professor, he's gone, we performed the spell." They shouted simultaneously.  
"It's all up to Harry now then" he said slowly.  
  
Four weeks later, and Harry had still not woken up. Hermione and Ron spent all of their spare time in the infirmary, wanting to there when he woke up. Not if. When. Everybody had begun to give up on Harry, 4 weeks was a long time to stay unconscious for...  
  
Harry could see thousands of spirits wandering around the wonderful things that were in this kingdom. He stopped a couple of them - asked them where he was, but nobody seemed to know. He didn't know how long he wandered for, but eventually sat down, and thought to himself, how am I supposed to find my body in all of this?  
"penny for your thoughts?" a man asked.  
"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad," a woman's voice came.  
Harry didn't look up.   
"I need to find my body, I'm not dead and I don't know how to find it."  
"Well, that is quite a predicament" the man joked, "as good as anything me and Padfoot would have come up with at school."  
"that's nice, wait a minute, padfoot?" Harry snapped his head up, and the two people gasped.  
"What - but, Harry?"  
"Mum, Dad?" Harry said, disbelieving what he was seeing. He jumped up, and for the first time hugged his parents.  
"but how can you be dead Harry, you're only 16."  
"I told you, I'm not dead, I'm trapped. I need to find my body."  
"Well that we can help you with, follow us."  
Harry stood up, quietly crying, still not believing what he was seeing in front of him.  
  
"Well here we are then," said James "the lost and found department."  
"you're kidding" said Harry "it's as easy as that?"  
"Sure, said Lily, they don't want more people than they can help wandering around here."  
"All you have to do is walk through that door over there, and you will be returned to your body, but without any memory of what happened here." Said James  
Harry started to walk towards the door, and then turned, looking at his parents holding each other. He ran back to them.  
"Thanks," he said, "thanks for everything, I'll never forget you, well I will forget this but I will never forget you as people - oh I don't know what I'm saying anymore" said Harry, sobbing as he hugged his parents one last time before turning back to the door.  
"Bye son, never forget, we're very proud of you." Called James  
"Always do your best" said Lily,  
"but don't forget to have fun" added James with a grin.  
Harry grinned, pulled open the door and walked through..  
  
Harry snapped his eyes open.  
"What? Where am I?"  
He looked around, and decided he was in the infirmary.  
"What am I doing in here" he said, not entirely sure who he was talking to.  
There was nobody else in the room, so he decided he was talking to himself as he got out of bed.  
"I must have slept here by accident last night" he decided.  
Harry pulled one of the robes by his bed over his head, and walked out of the room, unnoticed by Madam Pomfrey. He looked at the clock outside, and saw it was dinner, so everybody would be in the great hall, and headed in that direction, calmly walking in and sitting in his usual seat next to Hermione.  
  
Hermione and Ron had been miserable for 4 weeks, the 4 weeks for which Harry had been unconscious in the infirmary. They were now quickly forcing down some food before they went to sit in the infirmary. Hermione suddenly felt the chair next to her move, and turned her head angrily to see who had dared to sit in Harry's seat, which she had kept empty. When she saw who it was, she screamed.  
"aaaaahhhhh!!!"  
Everyone in the hall span round to see what she was looking at, and gasped when they saw a very confused looking Harry Potter sat at the table.  
"H-hharry? Are you OK?" stuttered Hermione.  
"Yeah sure, boy I'm really hungry, some body pass the bread please" Harry said calmly.  
Nobody moved. Didn't he care that he had been missing for 4 weeks? Did he even remember?  
"What are you all looking at?" Harry snapped.  
Hermione suddenly laughed and threw her arms around Harry, kissing him over and over, all the time crying tears of joy.  
Harry grinned when she broke free of him.  
"Did I miss something while I was asleep last night?" he asked, completely mystified by all this emotion.  
"Last night?!" Hermione exclaimed, "Harry, you've been asleep for 4 weeks" she said, still crying and grinning at the same time.  
"Oops- I've never over slept that much before - I didn't lose to many points for Gryffindor did I?" he said mystified.  
"Oh you dope Harry" Hermione cried as the whole hall burst out laughing.  
  
All of a sudden Madam Pomfrey ran in screaming in terror   
"Quick, somebody come and help, quick, Harry Potter's been kidnapped - what is everyone laugh - there you are young man, you come with me right this minute."  
"Why?" asked Harry.  
This was it for the entire hall, who fell into hysterics as Harry could not begin to understand what had happened, arguing whilst he was pushed out of the room by a very angry Madam Pomfrey, followed by Hermione and Ron.  
  
"What do you mean I've been unconscious for 4 weeks - don't you think I'd remember something like that?"  
"Harry, dear, do shut up."  
  
  
The End Of The First Installment  
  
One Man's Power - One Man's Greed  
  
Part One  
  
"Guess who?" said Harry as he slipped his hands over his wife's eyes.  
"Well I certainly hope that it's Harry Potter, or else I'd better go and find a rolling pin!" Hermione grinned.  
"Happy anniversary Herm," Harry said, kissing her as he handed her a beautifully wrapped box.  
Hermione opened it. Inside was a gold locket.  
"It's gorgeous Harry," she gasped, "well, here's yours, although it is very hard to shop for the most powerful wizard in the world. " she said, smirking, continually teasing Harry for choosing to hide his powers.  
"Oh, be quiet," Harry remarked, opening his present.   
"I think you know me far to well," he laughed, as the packaging fell off to reveal Fillibuster's fireworks, chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts every flavour beans.  
"Only one surprise left," Harry said, taking Hermione's hand and pulling her up, "Dinner" he said.  
Hermione faked a look of astonishment  
"What, you cooked?" she grinned.  
"No..I think that would be too much of a surprise for one night, you might have a heart attack..,"  
"Don't exaggerate" Hermione replied  
"..but we do have reservations in Hogsmeade.."  
"Good - I don't think I could take having to explain to the firemen for the 5th time as to how the fire started..  
"Oh now who's exaggerating - it was only 3 times"  
"Proud of that are we.."  
  
Half an hour later, Harry and Hermione were ready to go out for a meal. Harry made a swift movement with his arms , and seconds later they appeared in Hogsmeade. Their appearance went unnoticed, as people appearing out of thin air was nothing unusual for this town.  
  
Harry had found that he no longer needed the wand he had used throughout school. His powers, which had made their first appearance in his 6th year, were now stronger than ever, and truly did make him the most powerful wizard in the world, at that time. However, Harry chose to hide these powers, and, although they would have made him a great success in a number of jobs, he had decided to enter the one field he truly enjoyed - Quidditch. He was seeker for the Chudley Cannons, in a sport which was mostly filled with the less powerful wizards who would not cope in the more important jobs, which is why he chose to keep his powers secret. He had wanted particularly to avoid any jobs fighting the dark arts, he had spent 6 years at Hogwarts doing that. Not 7, because since his 6th year, everything had been fairly peaceful, which was pleasant, but also worried him a great deal. However, Quidditch had proved a very rewarding career, in which Harry excelled. He was already playing for the England squad, at only 21, propelling him to even greater fame than he had before.  
  
Hermione and Harry wandered down the main street hand in hand, enjoying not being recognised, however short a time it lasted for. They played silly games like trying to guess whether any of the people they saw were students out on a secret trip. They eventually reached the restaurant, and walked through the doors. Unfortunately, as they were led to their table, they realised it was a lot lighter in here than outside, and people were starting to recognise Harry. Hermione was desperately trying to get something out, but kept having people interrupt them.  
"Harry, I have something wonderful to tell you.." she started  
"Wow, is it really Harry Potter? Would you sign my book?  
"Can I please have your picture?"  
  
This carried on for much of the night, and eventually, they left early, wandering towards the lake for some peace.  
"Remember when we used to sit here as kids?" Harry said, sighing, remembering the happy days they spent in Hogsmeade.  
"Harry, there's something I have to tell you."  
"What is it Herm?"  
"Harry I'm pregnant."  
Harry turned grinned, and pulled her into a huge hug. They looked at each other, and then sat in silence, each thinking how happy they were.  
  
******************  
  
"It is nearly time" a raspy voice said.  
"Time for what master?" asked Lucius Malfoy.  
"Time for Potter's demise" replied the voice, in a strangely cheerful tone.  
"Your excellent plan is working I presume. It really was a wonderful idea, allowing him to develop a love for someone, so as to use it against him" grovelled Malfoy.  
"There is no other way!" the voice said, growing angry " I cannot defeat him, he is too strong, but he has a weakness. I will draw on that weakness, and then I Lord Voldemort will have his powers to rule over the world with!"  
  
Part Two  
  
6 months later  
"So how are my two favourite babies doing this morning? " Harry said, as he looked over at Hermione who was just appearing from the bedroom at midday.   
"Wait a minute," Hermione said, "I need to translate, Yes? Right, got it", she grinned and said "Feed us."  
"OK, I get the idea, I think I can manage cereal and toast." Harry said  
"Sure?" Hermione called, watching Harry carefully place a fire extinguisher by the toaster.  
"YES - certain." He called back "I've got practice at two, do you want me to drop you off at Ron and Ginny's on the way?"   
Ron and Ginny Weasley shared a flat about 5 miles from Harry and Hermione's house in muggle London.  
"Sure" Hermione said, smiling as she stroked the bump that was gradually appearing. "It'll be nice to have someone fuss over me" she said, thinking of how excited the two were about being god-parents.  
"You mean I don't fuss enough?" Harry said in a hurt voice as he handed her a tray of food.  
"OK, let me rephrase that" she said, "It'll be nice to have someone fuss over me who knows how to turn a toaster on." She picked up the bread and took a bite laughing.  
Cooking was the one thing Harry was truly terrible at, and Hermione constantly teased his efforts.  
"Right then - I'll use magic next time, but don't say I didn't try to do it the muggle way" Harry said pouting.  
"Ooohh, -look, you are so cute when you're cross" Hermione cooed, pulling him towards her and ruffling his hair.  
  
"I can't believe we get to sit in the directors box for the world cup, I mean, England versus Scotland - what a match."  
Ron was bantering on about the cup final Harry was playing in tomorrow. Hermione and Ginny were half listening, half watching the TV.  
"It's just another match Ron, I can't count the number I've watched Harry in now." Hermione cried, fed up with Ron's incessant chatter.  
"But the final.."  
Hermione gave up and turned her attention back to Ginny.  
"What kind of father do you think Harry will make Herm?" Ginny was asking.  
"A great one I'm sure, he loves kids, acts like one himself half the time - this is my second child really" Hermione joked.  
Ginny laughed "You'll have to be careful, he'll be putting her on a broom before she's two!"  
Ginny and Hermione had already decided the baby was a girl, Ron and Harry a boy.  
"He'll be lucky if I let him even keep brooms in the house when there's a kid running around."  
"Are you kidding?" said Harry, appearing at the door, his practice apparently finished, "I'll be keeping them outside the study window."  
"Why?" asked Ginny  
"Well, that way, he can escape when Hermione's trying to teach him the alphabet before he starts nursery" he laughed.  
"You'd better run" Hermione grinned, picking up and rolling a newspaper before standing up to chase him.  
"Herm no stress remember?" Harry started "Aaaaahhhh - ok - by Ron see ya Ginny gotta go."  
"come back here!" Hermione shouted.  
"Thing's haven't changed a bit have they?" grinned Ron.   
  
The next day, Harry came running up to meet Hermione, Ron and Ginny as they approached the stadium.  
"Hi - I'll have to be quick, I'm not supposed to leave the stadium," he said, "but, I need my good luck hug" he grinned, stretching out his arms.  
"Ok then Harry, but don't you usually get this from Hermione?" Ron said, pretending to walk towards him.  
"Don't tease him Ron" Hermione said, pushing past Ron into Harry's arms "Good luck, we've just got to go hand out wands in, we'll wave from the stands."  
She gave him a kiss, and watched him run around the corner, where she knew he would apparate, hiding because not even Ron and Ginny knew about his 'ability'.  
"All guests are reminded that they are required to hand in their wands before entering the stadium" a voice said over the tannoy.  
After an incident when a wizard had enchanted a teams brooms, all stadiums collected wands, giving collection tickets to their owners, before locking them in a safe.  
"There's Harry" Ron yelled.  
The 3 were attracting some strange looks, sat amongst the suits in the directors box.  
"Wave!" Hermione shouted, as Harry waved at them, "Or not.." she said quietly after the people around her glared.  
Soon it was time for the match to start, the three stood up and cheered as the teams flew out, the only ones as the rest of the directors box sat and clapped.  
The match was still going well over 2 hours later. There had been no sign of the snitch, and England were leading 110 to 90. Harry and the Scottish seeker were now on speaking terms, both extremely bored with the situation.  
"And as we enter our 3rd hour of play here, the light is almost completely gone, and the players as nearly fully relying on the stadium lighting," the commentator was saying, searching for things to say as the match dragged on.  
"I wish the game would hurry up," moaned Hermione, "I'm tiered and hungry."  
As she spoke, Harry went into a steep dive towards the ground, and a foot from the pitch pulled straight up, chasing after a small gold globe. He was getting closer and closer, 50 yards, 40 yards, 30 yards, 10 yards. He stretched out his fingers and..  
"CRACK"  
There was a flash of lightning, and Harry found himself falling from the sky. He couldn't hear anything over the screams of the crowd. He looked to his left and saw the Scottish seeker falling alongside him.  
Harry looked into the crowd to see Hermione scream and run towards the pitch, he knew what he had to do.  
As the crowd was screaming for somebody to do something, Harry threw out his arms and screeched to a halt In mid air - then, a flash of light shot out of his hands, and as the crowd watched in silence, it hit the Scottish seeker, holding him in the air.  
Harry floated gently down to the ground, and upon landing, he focused upwards, and as everybody looked on, amazed, carefully landed Trent McAllister, the Scottish seeker on his feet, He clapped both his hands together and the light vanished. The brooms fell out of the sky and landed next to their appropriate owners.  
There was silence.  
Then there was a roar from the crowd. Trent walked over to Harry shakily, grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.  
The match was stopped, and Hermione came running out onto the pitch and into Harry's arms.  
"So much for secrecy" he sighed.  
"Harry you could have been killed, what on earth made you fall?" she cried onto his shoulder.  
"Didn't you see it?" he asked puzzled," There was a big fl.."  
Before he could finish, another one appeared, this time striking the ground next to Harry and Hermione.  
"It is time Potter" a voice said.  
"Hermione - go, run!" Harry screamed, as a figure walked out of the smoke from the burning grass.  
The crowd was silent as they strained to see who it was.  
"Hermione go already, now!" Harry shouted.  
"I'm not leaving you" Hermione shouted back.  
"Fine, then I'll force you to." Harry said as he performed a lifting spell which took Hermione back to the directors box.  
He then shot a firespell straight at the figure, knowing exactly who it was.  
"Is that anyway to greet an old friend" Voldemort asked in a bitter voice.  
"you're no friend of mine" Harry replied.  
"But I could be - join me and we won't have to fight duel." Voldemort said.  
"I will never join you - never" Harry screamed as the stadium listened in shocked silence.  
"We'll see about that." Voldemort smirked, "Bring her out" he shouted.  
Harry winced as he saw who it was.  
"Hermione!" He cried.  
"Give yourself up - or she dies." HE sneered.  
"Harry don't do it - you can't." Hermione said, struggling against her captors.  
"I have to Hermione, I can't let you die. I can't." Harry said softly. "Alright Voldemort - you win, but let me see Hermione to safety first."  
"How touching, very well." Hermione vanished, and then as Harry looked into the stands, he saw her sat back next to Ginny and Ron, struggling against their grasp, trying to run back to Harry.  
He walked towards Voldemort, and allowed himself to be tied up magically. He took one last look at Hermione crying in the stands, before Voldemort waved his wand and they vanished into the air.  
The crowd was still in silence, watching Hermione, from whom the only noise was still coming.  
"Why didn't you let me go back, it's all my fault all my fault. I should of helped.."  
  
Part Three  
  
"What on earth was that?"  
"Potter? Where's he gone?"  
Harry's team mates were desperately searching around the space he had vanished, hoping he would appear.  
"How did he do that? I mean, I just stopped in mid air.." McAllister was saying.  
"Look, we've got better things to worry about, ask him when we've found him."  
They were suddenly interrupted as Hermione, Ron and Ginny came running onto the pitch.  
"Hermione, slow down, you shouldn't run.." Ginny shouted  
"I don't care," Hermione sobbed, collapsing onto the ground where Harry had been stood. "I don't care about anything."  
"You know that's not true Hermione, it's not what you really think." Ron said, "Harry will be fine, he always is, especially since it seems he can shoot light out of his hands."  
"Ron, I'm sorry, we couldn't tell any one about that - it was too dangerous, I guess it doesn't matter anymore.." Hermione cried, as players started to form a group around the three.  
"He has these powers - remember in 6th year when Voldemort came after him then?"  
Ron cringed, remembering how he had acted at that time, "Yes."  
"Well, he found out about them then, and pretended to use his wand for the rest of the year - he didn't really need it any more. We always wondered why Voldemort didn't come after him sooner after, it was just a case of time.."   
At this point, Hermione couldn't carry on, and simply burst into tears, the group around her were shocked into silence, a silence which was broken as there was a bang, and a piece of parchment appeared in the air.  
  
The England Captain picked it up, opened it.  
"It's from Harry!" He exclaimed.  
"I can't write much" he read "Don't worry - I'll never turn to the dark arts, unfortunately, that means I'll be here a while, I be back as soon as I can. Ron and Ginny, look after Hermione for me - make sure she takes it easy, I think she'd be safest at Hogwarts. Hermione - don't do anything silly, I'll be fine knowing you are safe, and that our child is too. Explain everything to Ron and Ginny, love always, Harry."  
  
The captain stopped reading and looked at Hermione who was weeping quietly into Ginny's shoulder. Nobody said a word.  
  
  
Harry looked around the room he had been brought into. It was like a cave, dark and damp, with a roof that seemed to stretch forever. He saw all the people in the cave looking at him in despair. He didn't recognise any of them, but looking at the way they were chained to the walls, felt like he would do anything to free them.  
"New blood" one of the people muttered.  
"I wonder what they'll do to him?" another one said.  
"Looks kind of familiar if you ask me."  
  
Harry was forced in to a smaller room and pushed to his knees by one of the guards behind him.  
He tried to magic away the ropes binding his arms together.  
"Don't bother" a voice said, "They're magic - proof."  
Harry found the voice to be speaking the truth.  
"Voldemort, you have me - are you going to kill me or what?" Harry said, wanting it to be over as quickly as possible.  
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you, I want you to join me."  
"Never" Harry spat.  
"But I think you will, you just need to be persuaded. Take him away boys" he said.  
While Harry still had his hands tied behind his back, he thought of his friends, and sent them a message.  
"Potter! - communicating with the outside world is forbidden" Voldemort screamed. " I can see we'll have to take some special detention methods with you."  
He pulled a pair of gold handcuffs off a hook, "These are special hand cuffs Potter, they will stop your magical ability. You'll be as good as a muggle whilst wearing them!" Voldemort laughed, as the guards clapped them on Harry's wrist.  
"Now, chain him up outside with the others, and of course, be careful not to get those beautiful white robes dirty" he laughed venomously, wiping a blood covered hand down the front of Harry's England Quidditch robes.  
  
Once chained up outside, the people around him watched as Harry sobbed quietly to himself.  
"I told you he was famous - look Quidditch robes, and those cuffs - what do they do?"  
"Ask him his name Jim, we might as well know who we're to share our demise with."  
"Look at him, he's upset, leave him be for a bit."  
"We don't know how long we've got - ask him."  
"OK" the man said, turning to face Harry across the room.  
"'ere, what's your name son?"  
Harry looked up, "Oh, sorry, Harry, who are you?"  
"Well, I'm Jim and this 'ere's Robert"  
"I'd say it's nice to meet you, but under the circumstances.." said Robert  
"That's fine." Harry said, turning his head to his sleeve to wipe away the tears. "Well, I know why I'm here, but what about the rest of you?"  
Jim looked puzzled. "What, you mean you have a reason for being here? The rest of us are just your run of the mill torture victims" he said, attempting a smile.  
"He", Harry said, assuming everyone knew who he meant by 'he', " is trying to get me to turn the dark arts. But I won't, not ever. I won't have my parents death in vein, I didn't spend my years at Hogwarts fighting you to join you!" He yelled, no longer talking to Jim and Robert, but trying to make Voldemort hear.  
  
"Oh, but you will Potter, you will join eventually - I still have your family to target." Voldemort laughed, without actually appearing.  
Harry paled, "LEAVE THEM BE - I already came with you - Hermione is protected" he screamed.  
  
But the voice was gone.  
  
"Potter? Harry Potter? Oh God, if you're in here, what chance 'ave them outside got?" Robert said shaking his head.  
"I knew you were familiar - how are England doing?" Jim asked - trying to change the subject.  
"Don't know - he took me in the middle of the match. He had Hermione and she.." Harry didn't continue, and just stared at the wall opposite him.  
  
2 months later  
  
"Hermione," Minerva said, "Professor Binns has had to abandon his History of Magic classes for today, something to do with a family situation he said, are you alright to take them, with the baby and everything?"   
"Sure," Hermione replied, "I'll do anything to help, you've all been great letting me stay here."   
"Its really nothing Hermione, it's what Harry wanted.." Minerva McGonagall trailed off, not sure whether she could talk about this subject.  
"It's OK," Hermione said, "I know I didn't tell any of the students here my real name in case they asked me about Harry, it would have been too painful then, but I know he's coming back, he is, I don't mind anymore, really." She finished, her eyes started to fill up..  
"Here's your timetable for today anyway" Minerva continued, " You have the third years first, and then the sixth years, and finally the first years.  
  
Hermione carried on through the day without much of a hitch, until it got to the last class of the day, with the first years.  
  
"Right then, can anybody tell me what you were studying last lesson?" Hermione asked the group of first year Gryffindors and Slytherins.  
One small child sat at the back of the room waved his arm about.  
"Ok then, you sat in the back?"  
"Michael professor, and we were studying about You-know-who."  
"Right then, everybody open their books to the page you last were on." Hermione said, and then wondered over to look at the page the students had their books open at. She returned to her desk and opened it at the same page.  
"Does anybody want to act out the next couple of pages?" Hermione asked. She watched as many eager students put their hands up. They never acted anything out in Professor Binns classes!  
Hermione picked up the book.  
"Right then, Tim - you play Tom Riddle, Emma, you play Ginny Weas.."   
Hermione flicked the page over, and saw the story of her, Harry and Ron's second year at Hogwarts. She gasped as she saw a picture of the trio printed in the corner.  
"On second thoughts, I don't think we will do this.." she started,  
"Oh go on professor,"  
"We've never done any acting before!"  
"It's my favourite story!"  
Hermione finally decided that she had had enough of masquerading under a false name, and that she could use this 'play' to tell everyone who she really was.  
"Right then - as I was saying, Emma, you play Ginny, Liam, you play Ron Weasley, and Michael, since you told me the answer at the beginning, you play Harry Potter." She said all of this very quickly, and took a breath to calm herself at the end.  
"Please miss, you've forgotten Hermione Granger." Somebody said. This was it.  
"Well - why do you need an actress when you have the real thing?" Hermione laughed.  
"What do you mean?" Emma asked.  
"Ok" said Hermione, "how about, if I pull my hair into a pony tail, like so, and you turn to page 253!"  
The class was quiet as they turned the pages, they looked at the picture and gasped, standing in front of them was Hermione Granger! The Hermione Granger, Harry Potters wife! Ok - The Hermione Potter.  
The class turned to look at Hermione, and forgot about the play, spending the rest of the lesson finding out about the trios various defeats of Voldemort from a first- hand witness.  
The lesson was nearly over, when one of the muggle born wizards asked,  
"If you're married to Harry Potter, where is he now?"  
The class went silent.  
"What?" the Jake said.  
A single tear rolled down Hermione's cheek.  
"Don't ask that you idiot!" Tim said.  
The chimes for end of lesson went at this point, and the class wondered out, leaving Hermione sat quietly at the desk.  
  
"So why can't I ask where Harry Potter is? If she knows him, we could get to meet him!" said Jake  
"You are a moron - don't you ever read the news? Harry Potter vanished without a trace 2 months ago, and you just asked his wife where he is!" Emma shouted.  
"Don't shout at him" Hermione said, appearing behind the small group, "It's OK, he didn't know. Anyway, Harry is fine I can..Ouch!"  
Hermione put a hand on her stomach.  
"Professor? Are you Ok?"  
"Help, I think she's going into labour - go and get Madam Pomfrey -quick."  
One of the children went running down the hall. Minutes after, a very tired looking Madam Pomfrey came running around the corner, and started to help Hermione towards the hospital wing..  
  
Chapter Four  
  
"Well Potter - Have you changed your mind yet?"  
Harry dragged his head up. He had suffered two months of torture - they had only kept him a small margin from death, and was certainly the worst treated of all the people still chained to the walls in the same room. His once white Quidditch robes were now red with his own blood, and he struggled to keep his eyes open, but he gave the same answer he had given every day.  
"Never - I will never join you."  
  
"Well, In that case, I feel I should offer my congratulations on the birth of your twin daughters.." Voldemort smirked.  
"WHAT? You stay away from them - if you so much as.." The cuffs on   
Harry's wrists sent a shock through his body, as they did every time he thought about using magic.  
  
"You have two days to decide Potter- your wife may have your protection, but your children don't," and with that he vanished.  
  
Harry hadn't the energy left to cry. Instead he just shook violently.  
"I'm sorry Harry" Jim said from across the room.  
"Don't be - well that's it for me." Harry sighed.  
"Harry - you can't, don't even think about giving in to him - He's been waiting for this."  
"Who said anything about giving in?" Harry said.  
He looked over at the two idiots that were guarding the room - they strangely reminded him of Crabbe and Goyle. He looked back at the other prisoners, winked, and collapsed onto the floor.  
  
"What was that?" one of the guards said.  
"Dunno - we'd better go check it out.."  
  
"What do you think Harry's up to?" Robert said.  
"I dread to think - he's not going to get very far - he hasn't got a wand, and he's chained to the wall."  
"Shut up - the guards are coming!" one of the others hissed, everybody was anxious to see what Harry was going to do.  
  
"It's Potter" the first guard grunted.  
"I guess he's finally dead after all that torture." The second one said, not bothering to check for a pulse.  
"Shall we take him to the master."  
"Yeah - we'd better."  
They took off the chains that kept Harry attached to the wall. The people around the room waited with bated breath for Harry to act. But he did nothing.  
Whispers went around the room.  
"Why isn't he doing anything?"  
"I guess he really is out of it."  
  
"What about these weird Gold cuffs? What are they for?" One guard said.  
"Dunno - nobody else seems to have them on, lets just take them off,   
he'll be easier to move like that."  
The guards quickly used the same key as they used for the chains to   
take of the chains.  
"Bad mistake boys" Harry said, his eyes snapping open.  
He grabbed both the guards heads and knocked them together. The guards stumbled back, and then charged at Harry.  
"Get him!"  
Just as they were about to reach him, Harry threw out his arms, and the two guards were stopped in their tracks, and floated two inches off the   
ground.  
"What on earth?" said Jim  
"Who would've guessed it?" grinned Robert, "no wonder he had those cuffs on - they must have trapped Harry's powers.!"  
"Come on Harry, You can do it!"   
The whole room was watching with glee as Harry threw the guards   
against the wall, and chains fastened themselves to their wrists and ankles, leaving them firmly fixed to the wall.  
Cheers rang out in the hall.  
"I have to go see someone" Harry said, his eyes staring at the door that led to Voldemort's chambers.  
  
"I don't think you should just march in there Harry - can't you make yourself look like one of these guards, and then sneak in?" Jim offered.  
"Great Idea!" Harry said,   
"Are you sure you're up to it?" Robert asked, looking Harry up and down.  
"I don't have a choice- he has to be stopped." Harry said with a grimace, before sweeping his arms out, and transforming in front of everybody, and then slowly walking through the door...  
  
...and reappearing a few seconds later  
"He' gone!" Harry panicked. "I have to get to Hermione, but first.."  
Everyone screamed in joy, as Harry clicked his fingers, and all the chains   
fell off the prisoners. ( except the guards of course.)  
"I have to go, I'll see you all later,"  
"Harry you can't - look, you can barely stand, you can't face Voldemort now!"  
"And I can't leave my family!" Harry screamed "I'm going."  
With that, he apparated to outside Hogwarts..  
  
Hermione sat in the great hall, politely smiling at the congratulatory remarks people passed her, whilst inwardly crying as she looked at her children. They already had the signs of the flyaway black hair their father had always fought to keep under control. She shook gently as she thought of Harry, but nobody seemed to notice.  
But Ginny did. Ron and his sister had been called as soon as Hermione went into labour, and were staying at Hogwarts until Hermione was fully fit again. Ginny gently placed a hand on Hermione's back, and pulled her into a hug.   
The people who had been crowding around the children finally noticed Hermione's distress, and went back to their own tables. Professor Dumbledore smiled gently at Hermione, and then stood up to make an announcement.  
"Students, I would like to inform you all that Professor Binns has decided to retire from his post as History of Magic professor."  
He paused, as the students tried vainly to look upset, but gave up and started cheering.  
"I would, however, like to introduce your new teacher, Professor Granger."  
Hermione smiled, she had agreed to this earlier in the day, and was amazed to hear the cheers her appointment resulted in from the students.   
"I think they like you!" Ginny whispered.  
"They're obviously delusional" Ron quipped.   
"Quiet you" Hermione snapped, smiling properly for the first time in weeks.  
Dumbledore called for quiet, "Now, on with dinner", and the students settled into their routine.  
  
"Hermione?"   
The hall looked up as a strange man walked into the hall.  
"Oh my God- Harry!" Hermione screamed, recognising the man at once. She ran straight into his arms, and kissed him, before dragging him straight to the head table to see the two small babies in a pram.  
"Look, our children Harry, Lily and Anne! I'm so glad you're back, now everything can get back to normal!"  
"Can I hold them?" Harry asked nervously.  
"Of course!" Hermione said, still unable to keep her voice at it's normal pitch through crying.  
Harry carefully picked the children up and held them in his arms, looking at them with a grin.  
  
"Hermione - no, take them back, move away from him."  
  
Everybody in the hall span around. Stood, leaning heavily on the frame of the doorway was a large man, with silvery blonde hair and icy blue eyes.  
  
"He's not who you think he is Hermione." The man said, is voice trembling.  
  
Hermione looked at the man,   
"Do I know you - I don't remember you." She said, holding onto Harry's arm.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked  
"You know him Harry?" Hermione said, puzzled.  
Harry handed the children roughly back to Hermione, and walked quickly towards the man slouched in the doorway.   
"You should be back guarding the others," Harry said, "I told you to let me deal with this."  
The man looked at Harry and put one arm out towards him, grimacing in pain. He started chanting a spell, repeating the same words over and over again.  
"Infusco Mortalitus, Infusco Mortalitus.."  
  
Harry stumbled back,  
"You" he screamed, "How did you escape?"  
He pulled out his wand and started to throw a spell towards the stranger, but after only a few seconds, fell to his knees, obviously from the effects of the man's spell.  
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, before aiming her wand at his attacker.  
The man ignored the spells Hermione threw at him, and carefully kept chanting.  
Harry's eyes closed, and he fell to the floor in a heap.  
Hermione ran over and shook him. When he wouldn't wake up, she screamed and started crying hysterically. Ginny ran over and took Harry's pulse. But there wasn't one.  
"h-h-he's dead" she sobbed.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"H-he can't be," Hermione cried "check again - he can't be dead - he's only just come back - he can't be dead!"  
Ginny quietly did as she was told, but shook her head.  
Ron slowly walked over, and pulled Hermione into a hug, his face deadly pale.  
Hermione suddenly struggled to get out of Ron's grip,  
"YOU!" she screamed. "You killed my husband", and she marched towards the strange man, wand pointed at his chest.  
"Hermione - I told you he's not your husband, why won't you listen to me? Just try the anti transfiguration spell, please?" The man pleaded.  
"You be quiet!" Hermione screamed, and the man's mouth became clamped shut by large pieces of sellotape.  
"You killed my husband, now you deserve to die!" she sobbed, her wand still aimed directly at the man.  
The man stood shaking his head desperately at Hermione, but she was beyond listening to reason. She threw spell after spell at the man, and the school watched as she broke both his arms, and then one of his legs, causing him to collapse on the floor unconscious.  
She pointed her wand directly at his head.  
"HERMIONE STOP!" Ron screamed.  
"Don't you want to avenge Harry Ron? Let me do this." She yelled.  
"Hermione, look at Harry - what has he got in his hand?" Ron said calmly.  
"What are you talking about?" Hermione said turning around, "All he has is a wan..wait - a wand? But - Harry doesn't need a wand!"  
Ginny, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.  
"OH Please no!" Hermione screamed, looking at the man slumped on the floor. She bent over and grabbed his hand, and then sobbed uncontrollably.   
"What have I done?" she cried.  
Ron took what Hermione was holding in her hand, and gave it to Ginny.  
It was a small Gold ring, with the inscription "Always and forever H&H" on the inside edge.  
Ginny smiled "It's Harry's wedding ring - that means,"  
"He's still alive" Ron yelled.  
  
"Hermione - the transfiguration spell, quickly - we have to check, but we need three people!"  
Hermione wiped a hand across her cheeks, trying to stop the tears, and stood up.   
"It won't work while his current body is injured so much" she cried - somebody get Madam Pomfrey, quick!"  
One of the students woke up out of the daze they were in and rushed out of the hall, returning a few moments later, the nurse in tow.  
"Hermione, what is it dear?" she started, but then saw the man lying on the floor.  
"We need you to mend his bones, please" she said quietly.  
"And how did they get like this?" Pomfrey asked.  
Hermione paled, and then burst into another round of tears.  
"Never mind.." she trailed off, flicking her wand at the various injuries of the man on the floor.  
"There - good as new" she smiled.  
"Right then" said Ron with determination.  
The three started chanting in unison the reversal spell for transfiguration, all the time with their wands pointed at the man.  
"REVERTO NORMALIS"   
As they chanted, a gold light spread out of their wands and spread over the body, and lifted it up in the air. The light spun around it, and the appearance of the man started to change, his silvery hair becoming black as soot, and his size shrinking considerably. The man that was visible by the end was not only unconscious, but was covered in bruises, and the clothes he was wearing were stained a deep red colour.   
  
The spell ended, and the man's eyes snapped open, and he struggled, trying to free himself from the force that was holding his body in mid - air.  
  
The trio slowly put their wands down, and the man landed gently on his feet.  
"Harry - you're OK" they screamed  
The hall watched in amazement, as the teachers started the same spell on the body lying on the floor.   
Professor Flitwick took one look at the result of his, Dumbledore's and McGonagall's spell and fainted on the floor. Voldemort's body was now lying where Harry's had once been.  
The teacher's all rushed over to where Harry was now stood, barraging him with a series of questions.  
Harry took one look at them, blinking heavily, his head still light, and his body still aching.  
He took one last look at Hermione, and collapsed.  
  
The student body gathered around as Harry was lifted onto a stretcher and carried up to the infirmary..  
  
1 Month later  
  
Harry had by now made an almost complete recovery, and was ready to leave the infirmary. He had spent the last month playing with his children, and of course spending time with Hermione, and Ron and Ginny.   
"You haven't told Hermione I can leave today have you?" Harry asked Madam Pomfrey.  
"No, I haven't, but I think I should warn her that you're up to something!" she replied.  
"Don't, It'll spoil the surprise," Harry grinned, as he walked out of the door.  
  
Everybody was once again in the hall for breakfast, Harry made himself invisible, and quietly walked in.  
  
The hall was a very noisy place, the students were all happily talking to each other, some looking forward to their lessons, others dreading them.  
The noise suddenly lessened around the hall, and people started nudging each other and laughing.  
  
At the teachers table, Professor Potter (Hermione) was sat eating her breakfast, with two large eggs floating over her head.  
She looked up, and noticed the entire hall staring at her.  
"What are you all..aaaaahhhh" she yelled, as the eggs were cracked and poured all over her head.  
  
The students were silent.  
"Whoever did this had better give themselves up now!" their professor shouted.   
There was still silence. Then, someone could be heard quietly laughing. Everybody was shocked - who would dare to laugh now?  
They looked at Hermione, expecting her to start another rampage, but instead, a strange smile was playing on her lips. She put one finger on her lips, calling for silence, and then carefully picked up a bowl of scrambled eggs off the table.  
  
She leaned over the edge of the table and tipped the bowl upside down.  
"Aaaahhhhhh" somebody yelled.   
Hermione started laughing happily.  
"Hermione why did you do that? You know I hate scrambled eggs!" Harry said, standing up, still invisible.   
  
The students were all completely mystified, as they could see nothing but a pile of scrambled eggs in mid air, but the mystery was solved as Harry came into view, and pulled Hermione over the table and hugged her.  
  
"Well it seems we have a guest for today's breakfast" Dumbledore announced with a smile, as the two returned to seats at the table, still covered in eggs, looking as serious as they possibly could.  
  
"There is also one more announcement I have to make" the headmaster said, as the students groaned.  
" I am afraid to say that Mr Potter has turned down my offer of the position of Professor of Defence against the dark arts, and has also decided he has outlived his stay as a guest here at Hogwarts.." He paused, listening to the moans of disapproval from around the hall.  
He waved his arms for silence.  
"However, I am delighted to inform you that he has agreed to take up the post as Quidditch coach for the school"  
He sat down again to cheers of delight.  
  
********************************  
  
Hermione sat in the bleachers watching Harry helping the first years with their flying.  
"PROFESSOR - quick - Michael's fallen!" one child cried.  
Harry sped after the boy on his broom and caught him.  
"THAT'S IT!" He yelled. "Michael - that is the 3rd time you've fallen, and that is the 10th person to fall off in an hour. What do you want?"   
  
The class grinned.   
"Well, can't you just show us a little bit of you're wandless magic?"  
"Please?" They begged, their eyes shining with delight.  
  
"Then will you stop falling off?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah"  
"Sure"   
"Whatever"  
  
"Right then, what do you want to see?"  
  
"Can you turn your broom into a dog?" one boy asked.  
  
"Why would I want.. Oh never mind - fine," Harry said. As he spoke, his broom became a very cute little puppy.  
  
"Now - back to flying. Come on - you agreed." He tried..  
  
"Agreed to what sir?"  
"I don't think I'm very good at flying.."  
"SIR - Lucy's fallen off!"  
  
Harry groaned as he caught Lucy and turned to sit with Hermione, declaring the lesson over.  
  
Harry took Lily from Hermione and held her up in the air, where she giggled and wriggled. Hermione laughed, as she rocked Anne gently to sleep.   
  
Dumbledore watched, smiling from his office window.   
"All's well that end's well" he sighed  
  
The End  
  
Well - this is where I made the end to this series in disgust, due to the hatred I now had for my own series but I kept going till the end, and finished it - tells you something don't it - that no matter how long I take with parts - they will eventually be up - keep looking!  



End file.
